1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ocean wave energy extraction systems which change the force of ocean waves into usable energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Offshore activities including oil exploration and well drilling are now quite common owing to the ever-increasing demand for petroleum products, food, etc. These offshore activities often involve the use of ships, floating barges or other specially designed craft for supporting equipment and crews. Many offshore craft are relatively large, weighing on the order of several thousand tons and have living quarters for the crew who may live onboard for a long period of time. A floating offshore station of this kind obviously requires much electrical power for operating equipment as well as lighting and perhaps heating the station, particularly the crew's quarters. Heretofore, petroleum fuel has been used as the main energy source and power supply for shipboard power. The heat engine employed was usually a diesel engine which was noisy, polluting and expensive to operate.
One prior art power generating system utilizes ship motion energy by means of cables affixed to the seafloor. However, this device suffers from the effect of operations by change in the height of the sea level.
The present invention may be utilized to serve as a power supply plant for undersea diver constructions, for providing auxiliary ship power supplements, or for providing power to remote locations. In addition to the generation of electrical power, it is envisioned that the present invention may produce other forms of power or energy such as to operate pumps, gas compressors or derive a variety of mechanical devices.